


We Began With No Options

by queenmidalah



Category: The Magnificent Seven (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-05-02
Updated: 2016-09-28
Packaged: 2017-12-10 05:07:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/782150
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queenmidalah/pseuds/queenmidalah
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ezra and Inez find themselves in a position they both always wanted. Only the circumstances of how they got there leave a lot to be desired. Can the two work past an uncomfortable start to find the truth behind their feelings?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a major WIP that I will update as a I can. It's labeled with smut, because it will have some later.

"I, Ezra Patrick Standish, take thee, Inez Esperanza Recillos, to be my lawfully wedded wife. To have and to hold, for better or worse, in sickness and in health from this day forward as long as we both shall live," Ezra Standish said as he looked down into the dark gaze one Inez Recillos. He lifted his eyes to gaze at the men who surrounded them before focusing his gaze on Inez. He felt her hand tremble as he slid the single gold band onto her marriage finger. As he looked into her eyes, he saw the tears and her fingers tightened around his.

"By the power vested in me and in the eyes of God, I pronounce you husband and wife," the priest sad. "You may kiss your bride."

Ezra stepped closer and cupped Inez's face. He studied her a moment before lowering his head to hers. His lips were gentle as he caressed hers, his tongue encountering the salty taste of her tears as they released their tenuous hold on her lashes to slip down the smooth skin of her cheeks. His thumbs brushed at the moisture before throats were being cleared around them. Lifting his head, Ezra glared at the smirking man nearby.

"Not so hard then, was it?" Micah Anderson asked.

"No, it wasn't," Ezra drolled. "Now that it's done, I do hope you and your men will leave my wife be?"

Inez moved closer to Ezra, finding solace in his presence. "I want to go home," she said quietly, enough for Ezra to hear.

"A perfect idea," Ezra said, his arm coming around her to pull her closer.

"No... honeymoon?" Anderson asked, a feral grin on his face.

Ezra's arm tightened around Inez, especially when he felt the tremor that slipped through her. He lifted his chin, anger simmering beneath the surface. Forced into this situation, he wasn't about to stay any longer.

"I think it best if my new bride and I returned to our preferred domicile so that we might share our joyous news with our friends," he said.

"Now, now," Anderson said. "We've been rather hospitable to you and your fian-- I'm sorry, your wife. No need to be running off now."

"I must disagree," Ezra said, his eyes a cold emerald as he regarded the man. "You have caused enough distress to my wife, I will not tolerate anything further."

"You will tolerate it and like it, pansy man," Anderson said, his voice growing colder. "Remember where you are and who you are dealin' with."

Ezra narrowed his eyes. "I know exactly who I am dealing with, but I refuse to allow you to continue to hold us hostage," he snapped. "You've done quite enough as it is."

Anderson started towards Ezra, anger obvious in his stony features, when he was suddenly stopped. He looked over to his cousin, Marcus.

"Let'em go, Micah," he growled. "Ain't our problem anymore. You got what you wanted."

Anderson jerked his arm away from his cousin. He yanked the material of his vest down, straightening it. He shot Ezra a cold look then smirked. "'Course," he said. "Don't rightly mean to be putting you out, now am I?"

Ezra inclined his head. Alert to his surroundings, he put his arm around Inez's shoulders and quickly led her away from the group. He managed to keep his eye on them as they backed out of the church, never turning around till they were out of sight and only then was it to escort Inez away as quickly as he could.

"This ain't over, pansy man," Micah Anderson murmured beneath his breath.

**\--**

"Are you ever going to talk to me?" Ezra asked the lovely Mexican woman sitting across from him. The first thing Ezra had done after the two had gotten away from Anderson and his cronies was to pack their bags, check out of the hotel and grab the first stage out of Miller's Crossing to head back to Four Corners. His faithful steed, Chaucer, was tied to the back of the stage. Ezra and Inez were the only people in the stage and the silence had been deafening for the past few hours.

"What do you want me to say?" Inez asked, her voice soft and dull as she stared at the window. She had yet to look at him. Her thumb would sometimes absently play with the band circling her finger. Ezra's own hand would sometimes disappear beneath his jacket, fingering the engagement ring he kept close. It was the same one he almost lost in that horrendous game with Big Lester Banks. He let out a breath as he realized how much he had wanted to give it to Inez during this trip.

They had slowly started to grow closer over the past few months, finding an easy camradrie that had blossomed into love for him. When she said she was taking a few days to travel to Grovers Ridge, Ezra had arranged with Chris to take some time for himself and offer to escort Inez. Chris had simply give him a knowing smile and agreed.

What had originally started out as a simple escort trip while he took a few days to himself and to spend more time with the woman he found himself falling in love with, quickly turned to hell when Micah Anderson had taken an interest in Inez. Ezra had stepped in when he wouldn't leave her alone, calling her his fiance. Inez quickly picked up on it and went along with the charade. It wasn't until a night they tried to leave that Anderson had stopped them and forced them to go through with a rushed marriage. Unfortunately, despite the rush, it was very much legal after making sure both the town's priest and a visiting judge where in attendance for the nuptials.

 _That wasn't how I wanted to marry her..._  Ezra thought to himself. He studied Inez as she sat, her eyes diverted from him the entire time.

"I... don't know," he finally answered her. Inez simply nodded, still not looking at him. He squelched the pain that wrapped around his heart and studied the scenery as it passed by, the trip growing ever more silent.

**\--**

"Stage is coming in," JD Dunne called as he leaned against the post in front of the saloon. He frowned a bit. "Ezra's horse is tied to the back."

"Well he did escort Inez to Grovers Ridge," Buck Wilmington said.

The stage came to a stop and the door opened. Ezra stepped out, tipping his hat to the two men, now being joined by Chris Larabee, Vin Tanner and Josiah Sanchez. Nathan Jackson, the group and town's healer, was nowhere to be seen. Ezra took a moment to contemplate where he could be before he focused on Inez stepping out. She gratefully took his assistance, but then stepped away just as fast once her feet were on the ground. She murmured something he could barely hear and hurried to head towards the saloon.

"Inez, wait," Ezra said, moving to hurry after her. He sighed at how she managed to get past the others and into the saloon faster than he could catch up.

"Things not go well?" Vin asked, cocking his hip as he studied his friend. He knew how Ezra felt about the woman. They all did.

"Hell, pard, maybe Inez just ain't interested in that way," Buck said, his jovial voice sympathetic as he had once been on the receiving end of Inez's rejection.

"No it's..." Ezra sighed a bit. "It's suddenly gotten a bit complicated."

Chris arched an eyebrow, leaning against the post. "Define complicated," he said.

"Well," Ezra said. "How complicated does marriage sound?"

"What?!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Explanations...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it's only been over 3 years since I updated this. I can't guarantee how often I'll be updating, obviously, but hopefully the muses are coming back a bit. Though this chapter is short. I think the next chapter will be strictly between Ezra and Inez.

"What do you mean you are married?" Chris asked Ezra once the men had agreed to discuss things at the church and dragged Ezra with them to explain.

"It means, we're married," Ezra said. "I told you, it's complicated."

"Start defining complicated, pard," Vin said. "Beyond the fact that you and Inez got hitched."

"Vin's right," Buck said, hooking his thumbs in the loops of his trousers. "Considering you are describin' it as complicated, and we all know how you feel about Inez, we don't need to really guess that it wasn't how you envisioned startin' a romance with her."

"Oh, that is very much an understatement, Mister Wilmington," Ezra murmured. He sighed and looked at Vin. "Mister Tanner, have you ever heard of a couple men by the name of Marcus and Micah Anderson?"

Vin frowned. "Tall, dark haired scruffy fellers?" 

"In a description."

"Unfortunately," Vin commented. "Them Anderson boys are mean as hell. Least Micah is. Marcus ain't quite so mean, but his temper's less volatile. Made names for themselves amongst some small towns with robbin' banks and causin' trouble for ranchers when need be."

"Yes, well, the one named Micah? Took a keen interest in Inez while we were there," Ezra said. "So much that when I stepped in, I claimed to be her betrothed."

"Bet that didn't sit well with Anderson," Vin said.

"Understatement," Ezra said. "He insisted he be there for our nuptials. When I told him that would be impossible, he, quite literally, took us to the priest in town. The local judge just happened to be in town as well and was requested at the ceremony with the priest, so not only were our vows spiritually binding, but legally as well."

Chris cursed softly. He looked at Ezra. "So you find yourselves married."

"We find ourselves married," Ezra said, sadness in his tone. "I want to be married to her, more than anything, but I do not think she feels the same. She barely spoke to me on our return trip."

"Hell, Ezra," Buck said. "Considering how you two ended up hitched, do you blame her?"

"Meaning what, Mister Wilmington?" Ezra asked, trying not to get angry with the man.

"Meaning... if she has feelin's for you too, which I'm sure she does, that's not exactly how she'd want things to evolve 'tween ya," he said. "You didn't."

"Buck's got a point," Chris pointed out. "Inez may simply think that you were forced into marrying her because you had to. Not necessarily 'cause you wanted to."

"But that's not true!"

"We know that and you know that," Josiah said. "But Inez doesn't."

"What do I do?" Ezra questioned, frowning at his friends.

"Give her time, brother," Josiah said. "And show her that it's not true. That you want this. And if she doesn't, which I doubt, never let her think that this will make her lose your friendship."

Ezra sighed slightly and ran his fingers through his chestnut hair before finally nodding. "Thank you, Josiah."

"Anytime."

~~

Inez couldn't get any of her work done. She had wanted to retreat to her room upon returning to town, but it would do no good. So she came to the back office of the saloon with the intent of trying to get some work done. Focus, however, was not forthcoming on any level.

“Inez?” The voice coming from the doorway, even female as it was, made Inez jump. Her hand came up and pressed to her chest, looking over at Mary Travis as she stood just inside the office’s threshold.

“You startled me, Senora,” Inez said, laughing nervously.

“I’m sorry... are you okay?” Mary asked. “You look restless and frankly, as if you were hundreds of miles away.”

“I was,” Inez admitted. “My trip was… eventful.”

“I suspect so,” Mary said, her eyes falling to the ring around Inez’s left ring finger. 

Inez glanced at her hand and sighed, letting her arm fall to her side. “Senor Ezra and I are married,” she said.

Mary’s eyes brightened. She knew Inez had feelings for Ezra, and he for her. “Inez, that’s wonderful! Congratulations!” she said. A frown crossed her features when she saw Inez wince. “No?”

“No,” she whispered. “He only married me because some _perro malo_ gunslinger started bothering me. He claimed to be my betrothed and the man made us marry in front of him.”

“Oh Inez,” Mary said, moving over to the brunette. “Ezra wouldn’t have married you just for that reason.”

“It was pretty much a shotgun wedding,” Inez said. “He never would have wanted it otherwise.”

“How do you know?” Mary said. “I’ve seen how Ezra looks at you. He certainly feels something for you.”

Inez shook her head. “No, that’s not possible,” she said. “He would’ve said something. He--.”

“Is scared,” Mary said. “You turned away Buck so many times, maybe he was worried you would do the same to him. For all of Ezra’s bravado, he can be nervous about what he really wants.”

“You… you think he wants this?” Inez asked, looking down at her left hand.

“I think the two of you need to talk to one another,” Mary said. “Did you talk at all after…?” She slowly nodded when Inez winced. “That’s what I thought. Inez, Ezra may think you have no interest and you don’t want this.”

“What do I do?”

“I think you need to go talk to your husband.”


End file.
